The Goddard Rocket Launching Site is a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
commemorating the launch site of the world's first successful liquid-fueled
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
.
History
Dr.
Robert H. Goddard
Robert Hutchings Goddard (October 5, 1882 – August 10, 1945) was an American engineer, professor, physicist, and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first Liquid-propellant rocket, liquid-fueled rocket. ...
launched his historic rocket on March 16, 1926, from what was then the Asa Ward Farm. The rocket reached an altitude of , flew for two-and-a-half seconds, and fell to the ground from the launching frame.
Goddard's final launch from Auburn, on July 17, 1929, was also a historic first. The rocket carried an
aneroid barometer
A barometer is a scientific instrument that is used to measure air pressure in a certain environment. Pressure tendency can forecast short term changes in the weather. Many measurements of air pressure are used within surface weather analysis ...
,
thermometer
A thermometer is a device that temperature measurement, measures temperature or a temperature gradient (the degree of hotness or coldness of an object). A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb of a merc ...
, and a camera triggered when the parachute opened. All three instruments operated successfully and were recovered. The rocket achieved a maximum altitude of in an 18.5-second flight covering a distance of .
The site was declared a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1966.
[ and ]
Location
The site is located at 20 Upland Street,
Auburn, Massachusetts
Auburn is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,889 at the 2020 census.
History
The Auburn area was first settled in 1714 as of today outer parts of Worcester, Sutton, Leicester and Oxford, Massachusett ...
, within the Pakachoag Golf Course. The launch site is indicated with two markers accessible to visitors while the golf course is open. An obelisk marking the launch site itself is about 1000 feet (300 m) southeast of Upland Street
at the "9th Fairway, between Tee and Green," of the Pakachoag Golf Course.
This marker may be difficult to access due to the nature of golf. The best advice for visiting is to walk the rock wall between 1st and 9th fairways. A second marker, rectangular in shape, is just off Upland Street in the northwest corner of the golf course.
The obelisk reads:
See also
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a total of 191 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) within its borders. This is the second highest statewide total in the United States after New York, which has more than 250. Of the Massachusetts NHLs, 57 ...
*
References
External links
Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
Rocket launch sites in the United States
Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Auburn, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Worcester County, Massachusetts